Bench vices



G. BLAIR BENCH VICES July 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1964 AWE W Y m WWW/ G. BLAIR BENCH VICES July 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 8, 1964 United States Patent 3,332,680 BENCH VICES George Blair, Tow Law, England, assignor to George Blair & Company Limited, Tow Law, England, a company of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Filed Oct. 8, 1964, Ser. No. 402,403 8 Claims. (Cl. 269-101) This invention relates to engineers bench vices, and has for an object to provide an improved vice constructed by welding together of steel castings, forgings or pressings, and prefabricated steel elements, whereby a vice may be constructed wholly of steel with the required precision of its slidable parts, at a cost comparable with that of the weaker cast-iron vices.

According to the invention an engineers bench vice has a slide comprising a head piece of cast steel affording a seat for a movable jaw and an abutment for a tightening screw, and three elements of steel strip preformed to the required dimensions with close tolerances, a first of the elements being placed horizontally on the upper edge surfaces of the second and third elements which are arranged vertical and parallel to each other, and the elements being welded together and to the head piece to extend transversely therefrom.

A slide of inverted channel form is thus formed by the steel strip element to provide as already known a protective enclosure for the screw and nut. The horizontal first strip element presents by its vertical edge surfaces a pair of precisely parallel lateral guide surfaces, while the upper surface of the horizontal strip element and the lower edge surfaces of the pair of vertical strip elements presents preformed, upper and lower horizontal guide surfaces. Further, the inner vertical surfaces of the pair of vertical strip elements may serve as lateral guide surfaces at the front of the vice if required.

Preferably the head piece, which may be a steel casting of relatively simple form, has a rearwardly extending top wall, the rear of which is thickened to provide the jaw seat, lateral buttress walls, and an upwardly extending front wall having a lower apron part in which is formed an apertured boss forming the abutment for the screw, and from which, at a level above the boss, extends a horizontal ledge, the rear edge of which is vertical and has abutted against it the front edge of the first steel strip element, the second and third steel strip elements extending beneath the ledge and having their forward ends butted against the apron walls.

The mating of the butt joints which are welded between the head piece and the ends of the strip elements is not critical, provided that the elements and the head piece are held in a suitable jig during welding so that the guide surfaces presented by the strip elements are truly perpendicular to the transverse seat of the movable jaw.

Conveniently a bench vice having a slide as set out above has an integral cast steel body comprising a forwardly open cowl presenting at its upper edge a transversely disposed seat for a fixed jaw, and a hollow base with a skirt or skirt portions for bearing on a bench, the frontal opening between the lateral walls of the cowl extending vertically from the lower surface of the fixed jaw seat to the upper surface of the base and having the steel strip element of the slide extending therethrough.

Such a body can be formed as an open-mouthed casting such that the use of complicated cores not capable of easy removal is eliminated.

The body can be provided with a number of guide surfaces machined to co-operate with the strip elements of the slide so that this moves accurately along the body.

A vice according to the invention will now be described 3,332,686 Patented July 25, 1967 ice in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical section through the vice on the line I-I of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation of the vice; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the vice.

The slide of the vice is made up of a cast steel head piece, shown generally as 1, and three elements of steel strip 2, 3 annd 4. The head piece has a rearwardly extending top wall 5, the rear end 6 of which is thickened to provide a seat for a movable jaw 7. From the top wall depend lateral buttress walls such as 8 and a front wall 9 having a lower apron part 10 in which is formed a boss 11 with an aperture 12 therethrough. The tightening screw 13 extends through the aperture and the boss 11 forms an abutment for this. The screw is held in position by a washer 14 and split pin 15, and has the usual cylindrical head 16 with a diametrical hole 17 therethrough for receiving a tommpy bar 18. A horizontal ledge 19 extends from the apron part 10 above the level of the boss 11, and has a vertical rear edge 20.

Of the three strip elements 2, 3, and 4 the element 2 is placed horizontally on the upper edge surfaces of the elements 3 and 4 which are arranged vertical and parallel to each other. The elements are welded together, and are also welded to the head piece, the element 2 being butt welded to the face 20 of the ledge 19, and the elements 3 and 4 extending beneath the ledge and being butt welded to the apron part 10. The inverted channel formed by the three elements constitutes a protective enclosure for the screw.

The horizontal strip element 2 presents by its vertical edge surfaces 21 and 22 a pair of precisely parallel preformed lateral guide surfaces, while its upper surface and the lower edge surfaces 23 and 24 respectively of the pair of vertical strip elements present preformed upper and lower horizontal guide surfaces.

The body of the bench vice has a forwardly open cowl 25 presenting a thick, transversely disposed seat 26 for the fixed jaw 27 of the vice, integral with a hollow base 28 with a skirt 29 to bear upon the bench surface. The cowl has a frontal opening between its lateral walls .31 and.32, the opening extending vertically from the lower surface of the jaw seat to the upper surface of the base. The rear wall 33 of the cowl has an opening 34 for the passage of the slide, the lintel 35 of the opening having a surface portion 36 machined horizontal to co-operate with the upper surface of the horizontal element 2 of the slide and a pair of lateral, spaced surface portions 37 and 38 machined vertical to co-operate with the upper lateral guide surfaces 21 and 22 of the slide.

The front portion of the base is formed with an arch 39 to support the nut 40 that co-operates with the screw 13, and an upper surface 41 diverging rearwardly from the arch with lateral skirt portions 42 and 43 in which are formed apertured abutments 44 and 45 for a pair of holding-down bolts at the sides of the cowl. Rearwardly the base is bifurcated, each limb 46 and 47 having an angle section with an external, vertical skirt web 48, the inwardly directed horizontal web 49 having an aperture 50 adjacent its rear end for one of another pair of holdingdown bolts.

To provide an upper abutment and guide for the upper horizontal surface of the element 2 of the slide, a transverse vertical plate 51 is welded across the front edges of the upper parts of the lateral walls 31 and 32 of the cowl 25, the lower edge 52 of the plate being horizontally located. Further, to provide a lower rearward abutment for the lower horizontal edges 23 and 24 of the elements 3 and 4 of the slide, a transverse bar 53 of bright steel is welded between the rearwardly extending limbs 46 and 3 47 of the base, the upper surface 54 of the said bar 53 being horizontally located.

Above the arch 39 of the base is welded a nut abutment S5 in the form of a piece of bright steel bar of rectangular section, the end surfaces 56 and 57 of this piece being worked to dimensions such that they present closely toleranced lateral guide surfaces for the inner surfaces of the elements 3 and 4 of the inverted channel-section slide. The upper and rear surfaces of the nut abutment 55 afford supporting and abutment surfaces for the nut 40 which has a step 58 in its lower, forward part. The nut, which thus has a horizontal surface to bear upon the upper surface of the abutment piece, and also has a downward projection to bear upon the upper surface of the arch of the base, is secured by a bolt 59 inserted upwardly through a hole in the arch. By the abutment of the vertical surface of the step in the nut with the rear surface of the abutment piece 55, the bolt 59 is relieved of shear stress. The arrangement is also such as to enable increased loading of the nut, due to the relatively small distance from the centre line of the screw 13 to that face of the nut which takes lateral thrust.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An engineers bench vice having a slide comprising a head piece of cast steel having a rearwardly extending top wall providing an abutment seat for a movable jaw, lateral buttress walls, a front wall with a lower apron and a horizontal ledge extending inwardly from the lower apron, an abutment below the ledge for a tightening screw, and three steel strip elements, the first of said elements being positioned on the upper edge surfaces of the second and third elements which are normal to the first element and parallel to each other, the strip elements being welded together and to the head piece to extend transversely therefrom, the first strip element abutting the horizontal ledge and the second and third strip elements extending beneath the ledge and abutting the apron wall.

2. An engineers bench vice according to claim 1 having a body portion including a forwardly open cowl presenting at its upper edge a transversely disposed seat for a fixed jaw, the rear wall of the cowl having an opening for the passage of the slide, the lintel of the opening having a surface portion machined to cooperate with the upper surface of the first steel strip element and a pair of spaced lateral portion machined to cooperate with the sides of the first steel strip element.

3. An engineers bench vice according to cliarn I having a body portion including a base and a forwardly open cowl presenting at its upper edge a transversely disposed seat for a fixed jaw, the base being formed with an arch to support a nut which cooperates with the tightening screw, and with an upper surface diverging rearwardly from the arch and having lateral skirt portions in which are formed apertured abutments for a pair of holding down bolts at the side of the cowl.

4. An engineers bench vice according to claim I having a body portion including a base, the rear portion of which is bifurcated, each limb of the rear portion of the base having an angle section forming a horizontal web and an outer vertical skirt web, the horizontal web having an aperture adjacent its rear end for one of a pair of holding down bolts.

5. An engineers bench vice according to claim I having a body portion provided with a cowl presenting at its upper edge a transversely disposed seat for a fixed jaw, and a transverse vertical plate secured across the front of the cowl, the lower surface of the plate being horizontal and cooperating with the upper surface of the first steel strip element.

6. An engineers bench vice having a slide and a body portion, the slide comprising a head piece of cast steel including an abutment seat for a movable jaw, and three steel strip elements, the first of said elements being positioned on the upper edge surfaces of the second and third elements which are normal to the first element and parallel to each other, the strip elements being welded together and to the head piece to extend transversely therefrom, and the body portion comprising a forwardly open cowl presenting at its upper edge an abutment seat for a fixed jaw, a base, a nut secured to the base, which nut has a female thread to accommodate a tightening screw, a transverse steel bar secured to the base, which steel bar has machined end surfaces to cooperate with the inner surfaces of the said second and third elements of the slide, a transverse plate secured across the forwardly open part of the cowl to cooperate with the upper surface of the first steel element, the rear wall of the cow] having an opening for the passage of the slide, the lintel of the opening having a surface portion machined to cooperate with the upper surface of the first steel strip element, and a pair of spaced lateral portions machined to cooperate with the sides of the first steel strip element.

7. An engineers bench vice according to claim 6 in which the base has a second transverse bar of bright steel spaced behind the other transverse bar and welded to the base, the upper surface of the bar cooperating with the lower edges of the second and third steel strip elements.

8. An engineers bench vice according to claim 6 in which the nut has a step in its lower forward part into which sits the said transverse steel bar.

4/ 1962 Canada. 4/1962 Great Britain.

WILLIAM W. DYER, 111., Primary Examiner. ANDREW R. JUHASZ, W. D. BRAY, Exominers. 

1. AN ENGINEERS'' BENCH VICE HAVING A SLIDE COMPRISING A HEAD PIECE OF CAST STEEL HAVING A REARWARDLY EXTENDING TOP WALL PROVIDING AN ABUTMENT SEAT FOR A MOVABLE JAW, LATERAL BUTTRESS WALLS, A FRONT WALL WITH A LOWER APRON AND A HORIZONTAL LEDGE EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM THE LOWER APRON, AN ABUTMENT BELOW THE LEDGE FOR A TIGHTENING SCREW, AND THREE STEEL STRIP ELEMENTS, THE FIRST OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING POSITIONED ON THE UPPER EDGE SURFACES OF THE SECOND AND THIRD ELEMENTS WHICH ARE NORMAL TO THE FIRST ELEMENT AND PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, THE STRIP ELEMENTS BEING WELDED TOGETHER AND TO THE HEAD PIECE TO EXTEND TRANSVERSELY THEREFROM, THE FIRST STRIP ELEMENT ABUTTING THE HORIZONTAL LEDGE AND THE SECOND AND THIRD STRIP ELEMENTS EXTENDING BENEATH THE LEDGE AND ABUTTING THE APRON WALL. 